Simple Beauty

Keep your dreams in view!

These pictures are my own creations and may not be copied. They will become proprietary works.

Beauty is all around us everyday, sometimes so seemingly simple that we miss it. I live to take pictures from angles where I see beauty that others may miss.

A Tree in the Forest

View of the Sky

Creating Legacy and Making History

 

 

A.L. Miller Sr. High School in Macon, Georgia as I knew  it as a teenager years ago. It is a place whose halls have many stories to tell. Some stories elicit beautiful memories of friendship, pranks, detention, study halls and, yes, education. While others evoke not so pleasant memories of our quest to bridge the racial divide and appreciate each other’s diversity. You see, the years were during the late 60’s and early 70’s when we were told, “Miller girls don’t act that way”. The teachers and staff were referring to how we were to carry ourselves as young ladies. Even though we were of different races, the standard for our behavior was the same. We were to carry ourselves with dignity, a quest for knowledge and goal-directed living. Yet, in the halls, racial differences peeked their ugly head as we were reminded that we were black because of names that we were sometimes called. And they remembered that they were white because of names that they were called. But it is amazing how these experiences have created a bond and connection that still connects us today. I chose to begin my Junior High School years at A.L. Miller Jr. High during “Freedom of Choice”, prior to mandatory integration. I was reminded of these times recently when I say some of my fellow classmates who were white. Our conversation ended with lessons learned from that period in our lives and how we need to meet up again with others from that period and stay in touch with each other. We reminisced and realized that those times helped to build character in many of us. The lesson that I carry is that, yes, ultimately I was a Miller girl and the good and the bad helped to mold me into who I am today. The powers to be may have decided to get rid of the building as a school, but they can never erase from the blackboard of our memories the lessons that were learned there.

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air. Couples are doing special things for each other.  I’m reminded that I am no longer a couple. I’m a widow. But I’m not sad. I’m taking this time to remember all the great times shared, all the valentines that we exchanged and all the special meals that he cooked for me. In his honor, I am ,including a simple, but elegant recipe that you may use to create some valentine memories. Enjoy.

Valentine Strawberry Punchbowl Cake

Make a white cake mix according to directions. Bake in a  9×13 pan and let cool. Cut cake into bite-sized pieces. Layer cake in bottom of a punch bowl. Top with a layer of whipped topping. Add a layer of fresh strawberries. Continue to alternate layers until the bowl is full.  The ending layers should be fruit with whipped cream last.

Variations: use yellow cake mix. Strawberries may be substituted with fresh or frozen blueberries or ripe peaches.

I’m my daughter Omega’s valentine!

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog

What’s on my mind this morning? This song from “Mickey Mouse’s Playhouse-Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog”. Why? Because I’m taking the time for simple pleasures like singing that song and dancing around the room acting totally free and loving it with my grand babies. Life is too short to walk around acting and looking like we’ve been sucking on lemon juice. After all, lemonade tastes a whole lot better. I’ve seen too much death and sickness lately as a minister and KNOW for sure that life really is a vapor-here now,then gone, often without warning…and, yes, this minister plays and laughs and enjoys life…to the fullest, everyday! What about you? Take time to play, see a flower, play in the snow, play with a child, read a book, color outside the lines. Do whatever you enjoy as long as it doesn’t bring harm to you or anyone else physically, spiritually, financially or emotionally. Life is a gift. Enjoy it.

Play A Little Everyday

Whatever the Weather

An attitude of gratitude for all seasons. What are you thankful for? Can you see the sun even through the clouds of darkness and seeming bad weather in this season of you life?

What’s your attitude?

What’s wrong with a little Divatude or attitude mixed with a little diva? I happen to  like my flair. I used to feel self conscious about the way I held my fork, the way I was always described as being so “prim and proper”, “acting white” and other such descriptions. But I realized before it is too late that this is the personality that God blessed me with. I can  live my life with flair and an attitude of gratitude as God’s Diva, giving Him honor in every raised pinkie, every stroke of brillance as I write, every grammatically correct sentence that I speak and every cultural thing that I enjoy.  So, I have decided to share some divatude in healthy eating tips, prayer, fashion and Godly lifestyle.